How to stand out as an associate?

It's been a little over half a year since I started as a PE associate, and actually found that I really like the job compared to banking. I know many on this forum say that PE isn't that much better or different than IB, but I think I got really lucky and found a firm that has a great culture in a pretty interesting industry. While I don't want to be premature, I can definitely see myself staying here for the long term but feel like there is a fair amount competition given it's a smaller team with limited room at the top. For those of you who have made it to the senior ranks of PE, what can I do to stand out as an associate? I genuinely find the work interesting and do always try my best, but think I'm not as strong when it comes to speaking / articulating my thoughts and can sometimes overlook stupid errors. My team encourages associates to speak up, but I've had a harder time finding a balance between having to do all the grunt work and being really in the weeds while also taking time to step back and figure out what I actually think about an investment. I really want to set myself up on the right track here and would greatly appreciate any advice.